Life's A Game
by MissTetra222
Summary: Aurora Eshethea, a sixteen year old from a lower class family is interested in helping solve the Kira case. She figures it's just a childish dream until a series of events proves otherwise. . . I'll try not to make it too cliche, I promise. MattxOC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_Ah, hell._ Aurora Eshethea stared at the flashing lights on the screen in front of her. Her ice-blue eyes were fixated on the words that seemed to be taunting her – "GAME OVER".

The attractive 16 year old fished into her pocket for another quarter, her wavy, platinum blonde hair falling onto her shoulders as she lowered her head. Aurora was about five foot six, and fairly curvy. She had almond-shaped eyes, high cheekbones, and strong shoulders. All-around clear cut features.

She had been going to this particular arcade every day since she'd moved to Winchester a couple of weeks ago. The "family" (She hated using such an endearing term to describe them. Her 14 year old brother, Evangelos, was the only one she could stand.) of four had been evicted because her dead-beat parents couldn't come up with the rent for their small apartment in a little town near North Hampton. They were the reasons she'd always feared making new friends – She knew her parents would drive them away. _Hell. They're probably sitting on the couch getting hammered. . . Assholes,_ she thought bitterly.

Much to Aurora's convenience, other than her parents and brother, no one in the area knew her real name. _Whatever,_ she thought. _I'm a loner anyway. . ._ And she knew she wasn't the best kid in the world, (She'd shoplifted a few times. . .She smoked. . .And drank. . .Stayed up till all hours of the night partying. . ._But hey. What teenager doesn't?_) but she had common sense and street smarts.

This rising "Kira" uproar was causing all of the wrongdoers in the seven continents to turn over a new leaf. Every Kira update, as soon as it was discovered, was broadcast on every TV station on the air. (The latest update being that Kira needed both a name and a face in order to kill.) . . . It wasn't just the fear that made Aurora hate Kira, but the fact that he was playing God. Passing judgment on all of the murderers, rapists, bank robbers, etc. (_Didn't the fact that he was killing them make him a murderer himself. . .?)_ Still. . .She couldn't understand how he managed to kill all of his victims with heart attacks (Though she'd been toying with the notion that he could kill with methods other than heart attacks, since lesser criminals had been dying in freak accidents as well) . . .He'd obviously wanted to make himself known. Apparently he'd started his string of murders in a city in Japan. (She couldn't remember the exact name, her memory wasn't the greatest.) Therefore, it was confirmed that it was someone in Japan. It was also suspected that said person was closely affiliated with the Japanese police force, since he obviously had access to exclusive police files and records.

_Sheesh, _she thought. _This guy must be some sort of genius._ Aurora had been interested in this case since she'd heard about it, and kept track of everything that had been going on with it. She was never this studious in school. . . Those subjects were never of any interest to her. Actually, she wasn't that interested in law either. She was just really competitive. Of course, she realized that it was childish of her to believe that by taking a few silly notes, she could solve one of the toughest cases ever, before any of the most intelligent detectives in the world – Including L. _But hey. Why not give it a shot?_

She checked her other pocket. _Man . . . How was this L guy so smart?_ Seriously. He'd solved some of the most difficult cases to ever be brought up. (All the while remaining anonymous, mind you.) She couldn't help but wonder what he was like in person. . ._Maybe he's one of those quirky, portly, private detective types with the funny looking hat and the cliché magnifying glass. . .Or, _she thought with a newly sparked interest, _maybe he's a creepy hermit who spends all his time solving cases. . . _

_Bummer. _She'd searched all of her pockets but found not a single quarter left. Hell, she didn't even have a measly penny. _I wonder if they have anonymous meeting for game-aholics. . . _

_Five seconds left. Damn. Soul Blade is my only escape from this shit. _

She looked back up at the game to see it was back to the "Select Character" screen. "Huh?" Aurora glanced around to see who'd slipped a quarter into the coin slot without her noticing.

"You didn't look like you were ready to quit just yet," the attractive guy next to her spoke up. He was about her height, his hair was the color of cinnamon, and he wore orange-tinted goggles, preventing Aurora from seeing his true eye color. He was already rotating the joystick for a Mario game.

"Yeah, thanks. . . ?"

"Matt"

_God, he's hot._ She nodded. "Matt. . . The name's Sapphira." For some reason, she felt guilty giving her alias to him. _But hey, _she decided, _gotta be wary of everyone._

"Nice to meet you," he managed to mutter, while still being entranced by the little Italian plumber and the mushroom-like koopas.

Aurora decided not to bother him any more, (He was thoroughly focused on his game) and after awhile, she'd beaten the game. Again. For about the zillionth time.

As she glanced to the window, she noticed that the sun would be setting in any minute. _Shit! _Aurora cursed herself. She snatched up her old denim jacket, threw it on, and dashed out the door. _They're gonna kill me. . ._

Matt looked up from his game and glanced after her. _My, aren't we important?_ And in less than a second, he decided he didn't care, shrugged it off, and dropped down into the tube that took him to the next level.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Ugh. This is why I hate going out. _Mail Jeevas now stood in front of the arcade version of Guitar Hero 3. A crowd of people were gathered around him, watching him rage the extremely difficult Dragonforce song. _If my PSP were working, there's no way in hell I'd be here. . ._

After the song ended, the screen for the high scores popped up. Of course, the first place mark was flashing, beckoning him to enter his name. The people in the front of the crowd leaned closer to get a glimpse of this guitar god's name. Much to their dismay, the only name he entered was "Matt."

Matt looked at his watch and noticed it was nearing 10 pm. And sure enough, a staff member came to verify that. "Sorry guys, we're closing in a few minutes. . . You'll have to come back tomorrow."

_God, I hope they don't all come back tomorrow. . ._

A few mutters of protest were voiced, but the people soon dispersed out into the street. Some complimented Matt on their way out, while others just gave him encouraging smiles. With some effort, he managed to not roll his eyes. _At least the girl from earlier left me alone. . . _

"Matt!" A harsh voice interrupted his train of thought. "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Sorry, Mello." Matt looked at the cold-eyed teenager in front of him. As usual, the blonde had a half eaten chocolate bar crammed into his mouth. "The arcade is the only place I can go to get my game-fix each day since someone broke my PSP."

"Whatever," Mello shot back. "If you weren't so addicted to those damn games, maybe you would be L's successor instead of me."

Matt coughed. "Near. . ."

Mello shot him a harsh glance. Matt decided it would be best to avoid any further confrontation, so he popped a cigarette into his mouth and pulled out his lighter. His companion raised an eyebrow. "How the hell did you make it through the day without one of those? You're a damn chain smoker!"

Matt grinned as he lit the cigarette. "Hey," he started, "as long as I have either a game in my hands, or a cigarette in my mouth, life is good."

Mello sighed and rolled his eyes. "You're never going to get a girlfriend."

* * *

The sun had just set moments before Aurora stepped into the driveway of her small (painfully small) house. As usual, she could hear her parents screaming at each other, even from outside. _God. . . I hope Evangelos is in our room. _This argument didn't sound particularly awful, but she just hated the thought of her little brother being alone with those drunken dirtbags. Honestly, she couldn't understand why he didn't go with her when she left.

Aurora quietly tiptoed through the front door (she'd had much practice with that.) and started her trek towards her and Evangelos' room. On her way through the hallway, she stopped at the liquor cabinet and grabbed her favorite peach schnapps. _I'm gonna need this to get to sleep. . ._ When she entered their room, she saw Evangelos in his bed, pretending to be asleep. "It's okay, Evan, it's me."

Evangelos threw the covers off of him and sat up in his bed. "Oh, thank God, Rora." He stood up and hugged his older sister. "I thought you weren't gonna come home till way later."

"How long have they been going at it?"

"I stopped keeping track."

Aurora tossed him the bottle. "Here, you probably need this. . . Plus, it'll help you sleep."

He nodded and spoke softly. "Yeah, th-thanks. . ." He took a couple of sips and continued the conversation. "So, where'd you go?"

"Eh," she replied, "Just at the arcade."

"Oh, nice. Beat anyone's scores?"

Aurora grinned. "I kicked everyone's asses in Soul Blade."

"Haha. . ." Evangelos' laughter subsided as soon as he noticed the eerie silence that had just overtaken the house. "Shit. . . You hear that?"

"Nope."

"Exactly." He sighed. "Well, one of them is either unconscious or dead."

Aurora thought for a second and nodded towards the bottle in her brother's hand. "Better get that back to the cupboard." _Oh well. . . I'll get to sleep eventually._

Evangelos took another gulp of the liquid before nodding and handing it to his sister. "Yeah, careful."

She grinned over her shoulder on her way out the door. "They can't do much more to me, right?" She gently knocked on the wooden door frame as she stepped back out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

Aurora made sure she was extra quiet as she made her way through the seemingly never-ending hall. She just needed to turn the corner, and then she'd be home free. (The liquor cabinet was right there.) _Alright._ She was so close. _Not tonight, asswipes. _She turned the corner and the bottle fell onto the floor, followed by Aurora's body. She was out cold and asleep much sooner than she'd expected.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry about the stupid, barely-even-suspenseful cliffhanger, but I'm going to try to keep all of the chapters relatively similar in length. And this one would have been significantly longer.**

**And I guess I should put this here now. . .**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Mario, Soul Blade, or Death Note. If I did, I'd be rich.**

**Chapter 3**

_Ow. . ._

"Rora?"

At the sound of her brother's voice, Aurora's eyelids slowly fluttered open, and she looked at Evangelos' slightly blurry face. After a few moments of rubbing her eyes, her vision cleared, and she was able to see the obviously worried look on her little brothers face. "Hey, kiddo." She grinned, hoping to make him feel better. "How long have I been out?"

Evangelos shrugged a bit, his eyes still showing his distress. "Well. . .It's morning now . . ."

Aurora's eyes widened. _Morning already?_

"When you didn't come back, I came out here to see if you were alright. . . " He trailed off. "Dad caught me out of our room and knocked me out too."

Aurora winced and shook her head, anger flashing across her face. "Ev . . . I want you to leave the house with me today. We'll meet up later and come home together. . . I hate the thought of leaving you alone here with them."

He nodded slightly in agreement. "Okay, sounds good."

"Let me cleaned up a bit, then we'll go."

"Alright," Evangelos nodded again and glanced after his sister, who was now walking down the hallway and into the bathroom.

_Well now, _Aurora thought as she looked in the mirror, _isn't that a lovely shiner?_ She pulled out her favorite pair of sunglasses and put them on, covering up her largely bruised eye. She quickly put on some blush, lip gloss, a baseball cap, and walked back out to her brother.

"Wow. . . That was quick." Evangelos was always proud of how good his sister always managed to look, despite their trashy environment. More often than not, he thought about how much better their lives could be (especially Aurora's) if their parents actually gave two shits about them. (Sure, they could've gone to an orphanage, but neither of them wanted to risk being separated from the other.) He acknowledged the fact that his sister was pretty, (Not movie-star-beautiful . . . Just pretty. She definitely had the potential to be that beautiful, but that would never happen. . . Not with this living situation.) and if she'd had a better upbringing, she probably would've applied herself more in school. Anyway, he knew she wasn't dumb. She'd shared her theories about the Kira case with him, and most of them made a lot of sense, or brought up an interesting point. . .

He sighed inaudibly. _Too bad she'll never make a difference . . . Not like this. . . _

"Well," Aurora started, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had settled between them, "we should head out before they regain consciousness." She rolled her eyes at her parents, who were passed out in random spots in the living room.

* * *

They arrived at the arcade almost an hour later. (Yeah, walking everywhere sucked.) "Shit. If I had a car, we'd never be home."

Evangelos grinned. "Yeah, wishful thinking. . . Well, I think I'm gonna go take a walk around the city, maybe find a book shop or something. Something interesting."

Aurora looked appalled. "Games are interesting! You just don't want to stay here and get your ass kicked at a video game by a girl."

His grin turned into a smirk. "Wouldn't wanna cramp your style."

She laughed quietly and handed her brother some money. "Alright, fine."

"What's that for?"

"Lunch. . . And whatever else you find."

"Thanks!" Evangelos smiled. "I'll be back before seven." He turned and proceeded down the street, wondering how his sister always had money.

"Be careful!" She called after him. _Good thing my parents get disability money. . . And as long as I leave them enough for booze and pot, they don't even know anything's missing. _Aurora walked over to the change machine and put in a ten dollar bill, (_Anonymous meeting, anyone? God, this is worse than gambling.)_ letting all of the quarters fall into the change purse she carried exactly for that purpose. A few people gave her strange looks, but she'd stopped caring what people thought of her, anyway. _Yeah, that's right. I'm a female gamer. What of it?_ Some (most) people were just plain stupid.

The first game she walked over to was, of course, Soul Blade. She popped in one of her many quarters, selected her favorite character, Sophitia, and commenced the ownage. Playing as Sophitia, Aurora easily defeated all of the computerized opponents. When the high score screen came up, she was quite pleased with herself. . . Until she saw a name where hers should've been – In the first-place spot.

_What the. . . Matt?!_ Sure enough: the name "Rora" was flashing right below "Matt." _The guy from yesterday. . . ?_ She studied the screen again. _No way._

"Sorry, was that you?" Aurora jumped at the sound of the male voice from behind. She whirled around and saw none other than Matt standing there, grinning like a little mischievious kid.

_Oh, God. . . I hope he doesn't ask about the name. . . _.She hadn't really expected to introduce herself to anyone when she entered it a few days ago.

"Hey, you're the girl I met yesterday. _. . _Sapphira, right?"

Aurora nodded slightly, and let out a small sigh of relief.

As soon as he noticed Aurora's irked expression, he piped up again, still grinning. "I'm not stalking you or anything, I promise."

Aurora couldn't help but smile at his boyish charm. "Oh. . . I just assumed it was an animal in my bushes last night." Matt chuckled lightly and pulled a quarter out of his pocket, ready to slip it into the Mario game he liked so much.

"Wait." Aurora seized his wrist. _What am I doing?_

Matt looked at her expectantly. _What is she-_

Before he could finish his thought, Aurora spoke up again. "Why don't we find out who's better?" _Am I. . . _"Right here, right now." _Am I flirting?! _She quickly let go of his wrist.

Matt grinned. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you, cutie."

She rolled her eyes, then realized he wouldn't be able to see the gesture behind her sunglasses. _Oh, duh._ "Alright, let's do it." _Fuck!! – I- I mean, shit! Did I seriously just say that?!_

Matt slipped his quarter in the coin slot and took his position at the second player joystick. Aurora copied his actions, and they picked their characters. (Aurora, of course, picked Sophie, while Matt chose Hwang.)

After hours of ring outs, knock outs, "time's up"s, quarters quickly disappearing, and cursing at one another, the victor was decided.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Umyeah. I promise this is the last time she'll go unconscious for awhile. . . So much for keeping all of the chapters relatively similar in length **

Chapter 4

Aurora threw up her arms in defeat, heaving a big sigh. She honestly didn't think anyone in the wide world could beat her at Soul Blade. Yet here he was, standing right next to her. _Say something!_ She ordered herself, _Don't just stand there gawking!_

"Wow. . . " Finally she spoke up, "You're really good."_ That was brilliant. I certainly seem to have a way with words._

"Sorry, sweetheart, maybe next time." Matt was grinning victoriously.

Aurora chuckled. "Yeah, we can have a rematch once I get the feeling in my hands back."

Both of them were so intent on their game that they hadn't noticed the slew of people that had gathered around them. The two turned around and looked over everyone's faces. Neither of them liked this. At all.

Looking for an excuse to get away from the crowd, Aurora glanced at Matt. "Uh . . . Do you know what time it is?" He checked his watch.

"It's about six thirty."

"Oh, thanks," She smiled, "I'm gonna go outside." Without giving Matt time to respond, she began pushing through the people, making her way towards the door. Trying to ignore the pats on the back and the reassuring comments some were giving her, Aurora didn't even notice Matt following closely behind her. After what seemed like way too long of a walk, she was outside, breathing in the warm, August evening. _Hm. . . . _Something didn't seem right. . . Was she breathing in smoke?

"Man, it got WAY too crowded in there." Her gaming companion flicked some ash off of his cigarette as he spoke.

"You've got a nasty habit of sneaking up on me, Matt."

He gave her a toothy smile. "Ah, get over yourself. I just needed a cigarette break." He took another drag. That reminded him. . . He pulled out his pack again and held it out to Aurora. "Can I interest the beautiful lady in a smoke?"

Aurora grinned, took on, and popped it in her mouth. She felt around her pockets and realized she hadn't brought her lighter. As if he'd read her mind, Matt pulled out his lighter and lit the smoke for her, smiling warmly. She thought she felt a blush coming on, so she turned her head and blew out her smoke."

Suddenly, Matt saw her perk up. "Hm?" He wondered, "What struck you?"

Aurora gestured inside to one of the speakers that was blaring music. "I love this song!" She beamed. Closing her eyes and taking a drag on her cigarette, she listened to the cheerful guitar chords and the lovely duo's voices. Before Matt could inquire, Aurora filled him in. "Yankee Bayonet by The Decemberists." She hummed along to the tune, afraid to sing in front of him.

Matt smiled to himself. _She's so relaxed. . . _"I've never heard it before, not even—"

Aurora put her finger to her lips and winked at him. "This is the best part."

He instantly quieted and listened intently to the short guitar solo, then to the two singers together.

_Oh my love, though our bodies may be parted,_

_Though our skin may not touch skin. . ._

_Look for me with the sun-bright sparrow, _

_I will come on the breath of the wind. . . _

He had to admit, the song was rather relaxing. . . The singers' voices fading out would make an excellent lullaby. . .

Aurora's voice snapped him out of his trance. (Not that he minded.) "What'd you think?" She smiled enthusiastically.

He returned the gesture. "I liked it!" He finished his cigarette and lightly stamped it out. "So. . . " He began, "Where's your car?"

Aurora's smile turned bittersweet. "I don't have one. I walk everywhere."

Matt mentally kicked himself. "O-Oh, sorry, I just figured. . ."

She shook her head, her true smile returning, "No, it's alright. In truth, it's how I stay in shape."

"Oh, well, you look great!" _Damnit, you idiot! Think before you make words come out of that big mouth!_

He was relieved when she giggled. "Thanks!"

"Do you want a ride home?" _WOW. THAT'S not creepy at all._ _Good one. She'll love that. "Oh, yeah, I know we just met and all, but could I take you home?!"_

Once again, she saved him from his thoughts. "Oh, thanks, but I can't" At least she sounded genuinely disappointed. "I'm kind of waiting for some one. . ."

_Duh. Of course she has a boyfriend. You're so stupid, Matt._

"My little brother. . . He should be here pretty soon. . ." As if on cue, Aurora spotted Evangelos walking towards them. "Speak of the devil."

Matt quietly sighed his relief.

Aurora put out her cigarette and started jogging towards the 14 year old.

"Sapphira!" Matt's voice made her stop and turn around to look at him. "Are you . . . Gonna be here tomorrow?" _So stupid. . . _

She smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, Matt!" And with that, she ran to her brother.

Matt couldn't help but smile as well. "See you tomorrow," he muttered to himself.

* * *

The Eshethea siblings were long out of Matt's eyesight when Mello walked up to him. "You done for tonight?"

Matt nodded. "Yeah, let's go."

As they walked to Matt's bright red Mustang, Mello noticed his friend's dazed expression and raised an eyebrow. "Alright, what's wrong with you?"

Matt jumped a bit. "N-Nothing"

". . . Whatever you say, hot-shot."

* * *

Aurora and her brother were at least a mile away from the arcade when she spoke up. "I think I made a friend today."

Evangelos looked at her, surprised. "What's her name?"

"Uh. . . Matt." She smiled sheepishly and put her arm behind her head.

Evan grinned devilishly. "A BOY?" . . . . Did she sense something protective in his voice? He smiled. "Well, I'm glad. You could use someone other than your little brother to talk to. No offense, but that's kinda lame."

Aurora shook her head and ruffled his hair.

* * *

The walk home seemed much shorter to Aurora than the walk out had. _Guess I was just so eager to get away from here. . . _It always seemed to take longer to get to places you wanted to go.

"You little bitch!" Aurora knew those slurred words and hoarse voice all too well.

"H-Hey mom." Evangelos spoke up before his sister had the chance. "Sorry we're late, we were just—"

"Shaddup!" Their father came storming out of the house, piss drunk, carrying a baseball bat in his hand.

Mrs. Eshethea grabbed her son by his hair and dragged him towards the house. "Get your ass inside!" She screeched as she shoved him through the front door and stumbled in after him.

Aurora started after her baby brother, but was seized by a strong grip. "I don't think so, little lady." He whacked her in the back of the knees, making her drop into the road. "You've been stealing our money, you little whore!" Just as she started to get back up, her father hit her again, on the back.

_Ow,_ she thought non-chalantly, _that's my spine, asshole._

"When you learn some respect for your elders," A hit to the head, "you can come back to this home!" A hit to the neck. . . "Until then," A hit directed towards the head, that Aurora somehow managed to block, "I don't want to see your face!" One final, hard hit to the head.

Aurora could feel blood trickling down her forehead and her vision got fuzzy. She tasted blood. She looked around the pavement she was lying on. . . .Blood there too. It was everywhere.

_Well, this is fucking stupid. I can't even lift my head. It's going to suck to drown in a pool of my own blood. What a stupid way to go. . . Evan. . . I'm sorry. . . Be strong for me. _

For the second time in twenty four hours, everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Matt stopped his car at the red light and puffed on his cigarette, blaring Pinch Me by the Barenaked Ladies on the stereo. He felt this song symbolized his life. Totally carefree and aloof. He figured he was the person in his group who would never really amount to anything because he didn't really care about anything. Except for games and cigarettes. . .

His blonde friend sat next to him in the passenger's seat, and, of course, there was a chocolate bar in his mouth. Mello had noticed that his friend had been acting differently since last night, but whenever he'd asked, Matt had just sort of shrugged it off. At first he'd been able to ignore it, but now he just had to know. _I mean. . . I guess he's the only friend I've got._ He sighed. "Alright. Out with it, Jeevas."

The light turned green and Matt eased onto the gas. His car lurched forward and he glanced at Mello out of the corner of his eye, grinning slightly. "Why, whatever are you talking about, _Keehl?_" The redhead chuckled as he emphasized his friend's last name. Through his smile, however, he was dreading the question that was coming next. He trusted Mello and all . . . Hell, Mello was probably the only person he'd ever entrust his life to. He just . . . Felt stupid about the answer he'd have to give. He wasn't even sure how to explain it correctly.

"Don't be an idiot." Mello was getting exasperated. "What's going on? Don't think I'm so dumb that I didn't notice you acting weird last night after we got home. And today it was worse." He actually was showing genuine concern. . . Something he only did once every . . . _Wow, I can't even think of a good cliché._

Matt was so tempted to be his usual smart-ass self and say something like: "Maybe it's that time of the month," or "I'm scared I'm getting lung cancer." But he saw that Mello was thoroughly upset and instantly felt bad for even thinking about it. _I am being an idiot. . . _Matt thought to himself, _it's not like it's anything bad._ "Well. . ." He started, taking a long, deep drag on his cigarette. "There's this girl . . ."

The cold, callous expression that Mello usually wore had returned. "That's what I was so worried about?! You discovering the opposite sex?!" He unwrapped another chocolate bar, took an angry bite, and shifted his gaze towards the window.

Matt rolled down his window, threw out the cigarette butt, and then rolled it back up. He glanced over at his companion and smiled. "Aw, don't worry dumpling, you're still my one and only," he sang the words and laughed. Although his laughter subsided when he noticed Mello's visage hadn't changed. "Nah. . ." Surprisingly, even to him, his tone turned serious. "It's not anything like that . . . There's something about her that's. . ."

"It's called 'love,' Matt." Mello rolled his eyes.

Matt shook his head. _It's more like. . . Something powerful . . . Something big . . . Like she's the calm before a storm . . . Like she's going to be a big part of my li—_

"STOP!" Mello yelled.

Confused, and very startled, Matt slammed his foot on the brakes. "Wh-What?" His voice was a bit shaky from the sudden outburst. He watched Mello hold out his arm and point his finger towards the middle of the road. Matt squinted his eyes through his goggles to try and see exactly what his friend was pointing at. . . _If it weren't so dark. . . Did someone hit a deer . . .? No. . . . _ The figure balled up in a heap on the pavement was much more disturbing to him. . . Then he figured out why. The body was that of a human being.

Matt's eyes widened as he whispered a breathless curse. Without him willing them to, his right hand turned the car off, while his left reached for the door handle.

"W-what are you doing?!" Mello shouted.

Matt looked back at him, regaining a bit of his composure. "We should at least call an ambulance or something." He opened the door and stepped out into the cool, evening air. As he quietly walked closer to the figure, he began to realize it was a young female. He knelt down beside her and flipped her over to see her face.

His breath stuck in his throat, and he looked at the road, now noticing the dried blood where the girl's head rested. It was Aurora. "Sapphira . . ." He whispered.

"You know her?"

Matt hadn't even noticed Mello following him over. All he could do was nod his head and hold out his hand for Mello's cell phone. The blonde instinctively handed his friend the phone, and watched and watched as he dialed 911 with one of his gloved hands and cradled the girl's limp body with his free arm.

Matt was nervous. He'd never had to call an ambulance before. . . "Hello, my name is Matt Jeevas. I have a teenaged girl here who's out cold and has several cuts and bruises on her head." Matt specified their location and quickly hung up the phone, handing it to Mello. He looked at Aurora again and brushed some hair out of her face. Then he noticed her blackened eye. _This must be why she was wearing those sunglasses. . . _He took off his glove and gingerly stroked the bruise.

"Is this the girl you were talking about?"

Matt nodded slightly.

The ambulance arrived not a moment too soon. (Along with a cop car, much to their dismay.) As the cop questioned the two boys, Matt watched with vacant eyes as the paramedics lifted Aurora, strapped her onto a stretcher, threw (Okay, it wasn't a throw, but he still felt they were too rough.) her into the ambulance, and drove off. After what felt like hours (Which had, in reality, only been a couple minutes.) of questions, the youths were free to go about their business.

"Hey. . ." Matt spoke to the uniformed men, "What hospital is she being taken to?"

"Winchester General," one of the officers replied, sliding back into the patrol car.

Mello stood beside his friend. "You're going to see her?"

Matt nodded. "I'll drop you off first . . . I'll stay with her until she wakes up."

"What?!" Mello seemed surprised, and slightly irritated.

"It's just weird," the redhead defended. "No one even came outside of their house when the sirens were going off . . . I don't think she really has anyone. . ." _I wonder where her brother is . . ._

"They're probably used to it. Sirens must go off all the time here. . ." _In the slums. _He decided not to finish his sentence. Upsetting Matt more was not what he wanted to do, so the leather-clad blonde didn't argue any longer. They both walked back to the car and drove off to Wammy's House.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'd just like to point out that how Amaterasu is portrayed in this is how I see her, and does not necessarily depict how she's supposed to look/act.**

**Chapter 6**

Matt's bright red car pulled into the long, winding driveway of the Wammy House orphanage. Or rather, an orphanage for children with special gifts. Prodigies, if you will. This was where the great detective L originated from, and where his successors were trained. Among them Near, Mello, and Matt. Of course, no one in the facility had used their real names since the introduction of Kira. Only the people associated with the orphanage knew the children's names, thus protecting them from Kira's wrath, should the need arise.

Matt and Mello knew they were well past curfew, but they figured they had a legitimate reason. Roger, the operator of Wammy's House, would surely understand. Just finishing another cigarette, Matt stepped on the brakes and waited for his blonde friend to exit the vehicle, while he himself remained seated, leaving the car running.

Mello raised an eyebrow at the redhead, beginning to look irritated. "I don't think so, pal." His voice grew louder with each word. "You're going to make me explain why we're late and why you won't be back tonight? Alone?"

Even though his comrade's words were as piercing as daggers, Matt grinned. "Tell him it's not your fault, and I'll take all the heat when I get back. C'mon," he pleaded, "he'll understand."

The blonde sighed and opened the car door, starting to get out. He paused. ". . . Pick me up some chocolate on your way back." To Matt's surprise, his friend half-smiled as he got the other half of his body out of the car. As he pulled out of the driveway, he watched Mello walk up to the large entryway. Just before the house was out of sight, Matt saw his friend half-turn and shoot a small wave in the direction of the car. He had to restrain himself from honking the horn, not wanting to wake the younger members of the home.

* * *

Upon pulling into the parking lot of Winchester General Hospital, Matt realized how weird this whole thing was. He was at a hospital he'd never been to, going to visit a girl he hardly knew, and was going to stay by her side until she was better. For a split second, he'd considered turning around, going back home, and crawling into his warm bed. Then he figured that would've been even stupider since he was already parking his car. He locked all the doors and walked through the parking lot, entering the large building by way of the main doors.

As the doors automatically opened, that oh-so-enjoyable hospital scent hit him in the face like a brick wall constructed from disease and death. You know. . . That smell of old people, antibiotics, and latex gloves all combined into one lovely aroma. Trying to ignore it, Matt made his way up to the front desk and spoke to the nurse. "Excuse me, miss." His voice sounded foreign to him. He'd never had to be that formal before.

"Can I help you, sir?"

He nodded, thinking about how to word his next sentence. "Someone I know was sent by ambulance earlier, and I'd really like to see her. Her name's Sapphira . . . Jeevas." He spoke, remembering how she'd been waiting for her brother at the arcade. "I'm her brother."

The nurse flipped through her paperwork and shook her head slightly. "I'm sorry, we don't have anyone by that name here. . ." She paused, preparing to add something. "However, we do have a Jane Doe in one of our rooms, if you could tell me exactly what happened to your sister. . ."

Matt nodded again and explained to the woman what had happened to "Sapphira."

"Room 305," the nurse smiled.

* * *

"_. . . Ora . . . Eth. . . ." _Aurora tried hard to understand the words being spoken to her. _"Aura. . . Thea. . ." _She focused on the voice. _"Aurora Eshethea." _Hearing her name, her eyes opened and she was instantly engulfed by a soft, white light. She sat up and looked around, seeing nothing. _Am I hearing things . . . ? "Aurora Eshethea,"_ the voice came again, _"look upon me, my daughter." _Again, the sixteen year old surveyed the empty space. Her eyes widened as a beautiful spirit materialized itself in front of her. Aurora couldn't help herself. "Am I dead?"

The spirit smiled good-naturedly and shook her head. _"Not exactly,"_ she replied, _"This is what you might call 'an epiphany.'"_

Aurora eyed her warily. The apparition had long, flowing onyx hair, which was done up in an elaborate style, and golden, slanted eyes. Her pale skin was adorned with rune-like designs and patterns, various colors of red that complimented her black hair. She wore a thick, decorative, Japanese robe that covered her feet. _A. . . _Aurora searched for the correct word, and a light bulb went off in her head. _A kimono!_ She felt proud of herself, but the feeling faded into confusion as she looked the woman in the eyes again. "Who are you?"

Again, the spirit smiled. A motherly smile. _"I am Amaterasu." _Her reply was eerily simple.

_Amaterasu. . . _Aurora knew she'd heard that name before . . . In school . . . Her jaw dropped as she recognized the name, and the next words out of her mouth sounded crazy—Even to her. "Amaterasu as in the ancient Japanese mother goddess?!" Surprised as she was, she still hated hearing her voice crack like that.

Amaterasu laughed slightly at the youth's dumbfounded expression and nodded reassuringly. Her laughter subsided as she looked back to the now pale teenager. _"Yes, I am she,"_ the goddess explained. Her amber eyes seemed to pierce right through Aurora's skin and soul, causing the girl to inwardly shiver. _"And . . . " _She added, _"You are my reincarnation."_

Aurora's head spun and she was sure she sounded as stupid as she felt. "But. . . I'm not even Japanese." Her voice was weak and shaky. This couldn't be right . . . _Could it? _It didn't make any sense. Why would an all-powerful, ancient Japanese goddess choose her as her vessel? And if said goddess had been with her throughout the duration of her entire life, why hadn't she protected her and Evangelos from all of the shit they were put through? Instead of discovering this new-found power surging through her, Aurora felt her face get hot. She was so incredibly mad at this woman standing before her. "If you're so goddamn POWERFUL," Aurora spat, "then why the hell didn't you help my brother and I when we needed it?!" She'd never in her whole life sounded so. . . Powerful. It felt good, but scared her at the same time.

Amaterasu flashed a guilty look for a moment, but regained her composure just as quickly. Her voice was soft, but contained even more power and authority than Aurora's outburst. _"You are not fully awakened yet. . . And your ethnicity is of no_ _importance to me. I choose my vessels based on who can make a difference. Those who can change the world for the better. You, Aurora Eshethea, have that power." _Again, Aurora's thoughts swirled around in her head, making her dizzy. The goddess continued to speak, however, disregarding the girl's dazed state. _"When the time is right, you will awaken to your full potential as my reincarnation. Until that time comes . . . Be careful. There will be those who wish to cause you harm, but do not falter, my child. Stay strong, and I will come to your aid. . . Remember also, there are those willing to help you. The ones who will care for and protect you. Together, with these modern-day saviors, this earth can be saved from the impending doom it faces now."_

As the spirit spoke her final words, Aurora watched her begin to fade away. She vanished completely, along with the comforting white glow, leaving her young incarnation to her thoughts.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Bleep, bleep . . . Blooweboop. **_. . .What the hell was that? _Aurora's head was pounding, and those damn noises weren't helping. At all. _Ugh. _Slowly, her eyes started to flutter open. At first they only rolled around in her head, but they soon focused. The bright hospital light made her squint. _Wh-Where am I. . .? _She was able to prop her head up a bit and look at her surroundings. Once Aurora realized she was in a hospital, everything came back to her. _Oh yeah. . . _She rubbed her head.

Matt paused his Gameboy Advance SP (which he'd resorted to playing due to the lack of PSP.) and looked up. "Good morning, sunshine," he smiled.

Aurora almost jumped out of her skin, and he chuckled. She realized the only thing she was wearing was an ugly, backless, hospital gown, and her face turned a bright shade of pink. "What are you doing here?" Everything was so confusing right now. Laying in a hospital, this guy she barely knew, and, oh yeah, being the reincarnation of the ancient Japanese sun goddess, Amaterasu. All of her thoughts were jumbling into a big ball of obscurity.

Not noticing her inner turmoil, Matt explained the situation from his point of view. "Well," he began, "my friend and I were driving back from the arcade when we came upon the unconscious Sapphira, collapsed in the road." He paused to turn off his game. "I called an ambulance, dropped my friend off, and, well, the rest is history," he grinned. "How're you feeling?"

Aurora could see the dark circles under his eyes, even beneath his orange-tinted goggles. How long had she been out? _He must've been here the whole time . . .Awake. . . _She suddenly felt awful, and it wasn't because of her throbbing head. No one had ever really taken care of her before. It felt great. . .Though at the same time, it made her feel guilty. "I. . ." She couldn't find the right words. "I can't thank you enough. . . If you hadn't found me, I might be dead."

Matt shook his head modestly, but felt himself blush slightly. "Actually, my friend, Mello, saw you first." He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "If he didn't see you, well. . . .I probably would've run you over." He laughed, but that quickly ended as he noticed Aurora's silence. "I mean – Of course I wouldn't have hit you! I. . .I was just trying to be funny, but –"

Aurora smiled softly and chuckled. "Don't worry. I know you wouldn't have. . . You'll have to let me thank Mello, okay?"

He nodded. "Sure thing!" Leaning in a bit closer, he added, "I can take you as soon as you get outta here! . . . If you're feeling up to it, that is." He sounded a bit embarrassed. "I mean . . .They told me you could leave any time. . . They made sure you didn't have any brain damage and stitched up your wound. . ." He gingerly swept some of her hair behind her ear with his ring finger. "Um . . .What happened exactly?"

She lowered her ice-blue eyes, hesitating to answer. "I. . .Let's just say I won't be going home." Pleadingly, she looked back up at her visitor, hoping he wouldn't be freaked out.

Quite the contrary, he quickly spoke up. "You can stay at the orphanage where I live. Everybody's really nice too, so –"

"My brother. . ." _How could I have forgotten. . . _

"Oh yeah." Misinterpreting her words, Matt continued, "I had to tell them that I was your brother in order to see you. Hospital rules, you know? So until we're outta here, you're Sapphira Jeevas, alright?" He smiled at her, but she only shook her head. "Huh?"

Aurora felt like she was going to cry. "My brother. . . " Her voice cracked. "Before they knocked me out. . . They dragged him in the house, and –" She sat up and began pulling off all of the hospital appendages the doctors had attached to her. The steady, pulsating beat that the heart monitor gave off turned into one long ring as she unstuck the cord from her chest. She didn't even care that all she was wearing was the hospital gown anymore. Right now, the only thing that mattered to her was getting to her brother. Much to her surprise, (and his too, for that matter) Matt found himself wrapping his arms around her, keeping her in the bed. "Listen to me." His voice was stern, yet soft. "I'm not letting you go back there. Look at what they did to you!" He sighed; he didn't want to sound angry. Cupping her face with his hands, he looked into her teary eyes. "Let me take you to the orphanage, and I promise I'll go to your house, and look for your brother." Before she could protest, he added, "I'll be fine."

"Is she okay?!" A couple nurses and a doctor burst into the room.

Aurora glanced at the heart monitor. _It must have set off an alarm. . . _

Matt let go of her face and grinned at them. "Everything's fine. She's just eager to get home is all." He looked at Aurora. "Right?"

She nodded and looked at the doctor. "Where are my clothes?"

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this chapter's so short D:**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Wow . . . 8 chapters seems like a lot oO; The next few chapters are going to focus on romance, but the action will return, don't you worry your pretty little heads **

**Chapter 8**

Evangelos got up from his and Aurora's bed and walked over to the bedroom door. For most people, it would be strange for a brother and sister to sleep in the same bed. However, when you come from a poor family, and your parents are borderline psycho, the concept suddenly doesn't seem so odd. And it wasn't awkward for them, either, since it'd been like that their entire lives.

When he reached the door, he pressed his ear up to the cold wood. He didn't hear anything anymore. _Good . . . _Well, he wouldn't have been able to sleep even if they weren't throwing glasses and screaming obscenities. He was too worried about his sister. She hadn't come in yet, and he didn't dare leave the room. After opening the door a crack, he peeked out into the hallway to make sure the coast was definitely clear. It was.

At the end of the hallway, he looked around the corner and saw his parents passed out in the living room. The liquor bottles that had been in their hands were now lying on the floor, their contents oozing out onto the carpet. _Ugh. . . They make me sick._ It was hard to believe he was related to them. Rolling his eyes, he continued towards the front door. It was nearing dawn. Had he really just been lying in bed, thinking, for that long? He opened the door and stepped outside.

As he walked out into the middle of the road, he focused less on being able to see his breath, and more on the empty pavement. It wasn't supposed to be empty. Aurora was supposed to be standing there. Waiting for him. She was supposed to say "Hey, what the hell took ya?" But she wasn't there. _Where's my sister . . . ?_

"Hey, what was with the ambulance earlier? It woke me up." Evangelos looked across the road at his neighbor. That one guy he figured everybody had on their street. The bald guy with too short short-shorts who went jogging every morning at ungodly hours, when the air was "crisp."

"A-Ambulance?" Evangelos' heart skipped a beat, but he relaxed after thinking about it. _Some one called an ambulance for her and I just didn't hear it. Good. She's safe._ He thought about when she gave him the money, and the last thing their mother had said to Aurora. _Oh God. . . This was my fault. . ._

Ignoring his neighbor, the fourteen year old walked back into his house. He knew what he had to do. Once he got into their room, he grabbed a pen and paper. Quickly, he began writing. _"Dear Aurora,"_ he started off his note. When he finished, he folded it up and wrote "Rora" on the front. He placed it on the dresser, where she would certainly find it when she returned. (Their parents never went into their room, so that wasn't going to be an issue.) Not surprisingly, it didn't take him very long to pack up what few belongings he had. He took one last look at their room and grinned. _See you around, sis. . ._

* * *

As they pulled into the long driveway, Aurora did what Matt had suggested. She tried keeping her mind off of her brother. It wasn't easy, but nevertheless, she began focusing on how fun the car ride was instead. He sang like an idiot to all of the upbeat songs, and attempted a goofy serenade for all of the slow songs, trying to cheer her up. She was more than sure he would've sang beautifully, had he been serious. Here and there, he made a few jokes too. However, despite Matt's best efforts, she was still feeling down. Not to say she didn't feel bad about it though, she truly did appreciate his tries.

The car came to a stop and Matt pulled out the key. "Well," she snapped out of her thoughts, "here we are." He gestured to the large building in front of them. Aurora gaped at the monstrous obstruction. This place was probably . . . At least fifty times bigger than her house.

Matt chuckled. "It is pretty big, isn't it?" Refraining from making an obvious "that's-what-she-said" joke, he continued, "So, as you can see, there's plenty of room for you and your brother." He smiled at her and she felt safe for the first time in a long while. "C'mon, I'll take you to meet everyone."

A bit nervous about the mention of the word "everyone," she hesitated before agreeing. After opening her car door, he walked her up to the front door of the house and held it open for her, sweeping into a goofy bow and smiling up at her. _God . . . I feel like a princess. . . Or a goddess. _Aurora inwardly laughed at her little joke.

"Ladies first." She chuckled and walked in, with him following shortly behind. Aurora was just as amazed at the inside of the home as she was by the outside. Matt shook his head and patted her on the back. "You'll get used to it."

They walked past many rooms before they finally came to a stop outside of a closed door. Matt knocked, and a voice from inside bade them enter. Upon entering, Aurora's eyes locked with those of an elderly man. "Hey, Roger," Matt spoke up, "uh . . . This girl isn't exactly an orphan, but she's in danger if she goes back home, and –"

"What's this young lady's name?"

Before the redhead could answer, Aurora chimed in, "Sapphira Eshethea, sir." She bowed somewhat clumsily.

The man chuckled. "Please, just call me Roger." He stood up and walked over to her. "Sapphira, my dear, you are welcome to stay here as long as you like." Matt and Aurora smiled happily at one another, and Roger added, "Matt has good judgment." The teenaged male scratched the back of his head and chuckled, blushing slightly. Aurora giggled at his embarrassment, wondering why all people were so much cuter when they were embarrassed. Roger glanced at the two of them and rolled his eyes, shaking his head knowingly.

"Well," Matt spoke again, "there are some other people I want her to meet, so, we'll catch ya later, Roger."

Aurora bowed again. When she stood up, she smiled beautifully at the old man. "It was nice meeting you!" She turned and walked back out into the hall.

Before Matt left, he turned to Roger. "Hey, I need to talk to you later." The man nodded and waved at him as he stepped out into the hallway with Aurora.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Matt smiled at his companion after exiting Roger's office. "He can be kind of strict, but he's really nice." Aurora returned his smile and they continued through rhe massive Whammy House. Most of the doors they passed were closed, so Aurora couldn't help but glance inside as they passed an open one. Odd, grey eyes looked up at her.

A white haired boy sat in the middle of the room, playing with many toys. Finished puzzles, at least 10,000 pieces each, were layed out in a circle around him. He studied the blonde with curious eyes that had dark rings around them, like he didn't get enough sleep. Twisting a snowy lock of hair around his finger, he waited for Aurora to speak up first.

Tearing herself away from his dark, penetrating gaze, she spoke quietly. "Hi there. My name's Sapphira." His demeanor made her nervous.

The boy only nodded and replied, "Near."

"H-Huh?"

"My name," the boy answered, "Near."

_What a strange name. . ._"O-Oh." _God, you sound like an idiot. You're not making a very good first impression, Aurora!_ She kicked herself, then broke the silence. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen." Completely surprised by his answer, Aurora was sure her mouth was hanging open. He looked so much younger. . .

"Oh, that's cool!" She smiled. "I have a younger brother who's fourteen." Her heart twanged a bit with worry, but it vanished in a second. Evangelos would be joining her here soon, so she didn't need to worry. She hoped he could become friends with Near. . .This kid looked pretty lonely, and he was the same age as Evan anyway.

Matt peeked into the room. "C'mon, Saph!" He'd even made up a cute nickname for her alias. (Although she still liked "Rora" better.) "There's still some one I want you to meet!"

Aurora looked back at him and nodded, then returned her gaze to Near. "Well," she began, "it was nice meeting you, Near! See you later!" She smiled at him and hurried out to Matt, who'd lit up another cigarette. Near glanced after the two for a moment before returning to his action figures.

Their last stop wasn't far from the room they'd found Near in. Matt looked at Aurora and sucked up the last bit of smoke from his cigarette. "This guy. . ." He flicked the butt out of his fingers. "This is Mello's room. He'll act like a real asshole, but don't pay any attention to it. He means well, I promise." He grinned slightly.

Aurora shrugged it off. "How bad can he be?" He was Matt's friend, so he couldn't be too awful. "Besides," she added, "he did technically save me, so I need to thank him anyway." She smiled, "Right?" Matt chuckled and shook his head slightly, knocking on the wooden door.

"What?" Was the reply.

Matt laughed. "Just get out here, Mello."

"I thought you were supposed to be staying with your little girl –" The door opened and Mello's eyes locked onto Aurora. ". . .Friend." He was quite a sight. Dressed all in leather, a rosary around his neck, harsh eyes that could make the devil himself cringe, and a chocolate bar in his hand.

"This is Sapphira." Matt placed his hand on the small of her back. "She's gonna be staying here for awhile." He smiled at her, and Mello rolled his eyes.

Ignoring Mello's gesture, Aurora held out her hand for him to shake. "I heard you were the one who spotted me in the road." Mello's eyes were focused on the stitches in her head, but he nodded slightly. Lowering the hand that he obviously wasn't going to shake, she continued, "I can't thank you enough. I don't know what would've happened if you guys hadn't –"

"No problem." He cut her off, taking a bite of his candy bar. He looked at Matt. "Is this all you wanted?" Matt nodded numbly. "Oh. Well, see ya." And with that, Mello retreated back into his room, leaving a less than surprised Matt and a discouraged Aurora standing in the hallway.

Noticing her disappointment, Matt wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled at her. "Told you. He'll warm up to you eventually." His tone was so cheerful that Aurora couldn't help but believe him. She returned his smile and nodded. "Alright," he continued, "I'll show you to your room." As they were walking, he pointed at the room next to Mello's. "Oh, and that's my room. In case you ever need me."

They walked through a few more hallways, and Aurora was a bit upset that her room wasn't very close to his. It would be a suspiciously long trek for her to just stop by and say hi.

Matt stopped them at another wooden door. "This is where we keep the blondes." He had a serious look on his face, and all Aurora could do was make that stupid "deer-in-headlights" face. "I'm kidding!" Matt laughed. "You really shouldn't take me so seriously."

She laughed. "Sorry. . .I'll probably the dumb new kid for awhile."

Matt shook his head. "Nah. . ." He winked at her. "You've got me to watch out for ya." Aurora was glad he hadn't noticed her blush when he went to open the door to her room. "Well . . . Here's your new home." _Good one, buddy. You made her sound like a dog._

Obviously not perceiving the statement the way he had, Aurora stepped lightly onto the carpeted floor and stared at the room's beautiful décor. A queen-sized bed with lovely sheets, an antique rocking chair in one corner of the room, exquisite paintings lining the walls. Repressing the tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks, she pulled Matt into a hug and kissed his cheek without thinking. "It's so beautiful, Matt! I can't – I mean I never thought that I'd . . .Wow. . ." She released him, a bit embarrassed that she hadn't yet.

Matt, still surprised, gently touched his face where her lips had met his skin. "I. . ." He started, attempting to catch his breath and regain his senses, "I'm glad you like it." He smiled a big, goofy smile.

"I love it!"

He chuckled. "Well, I know you're probably pretty wiped out. . .And I am too. So, why don't you get some sleep, and I'll see you when you wake up!"

"Alright." She nodded in agreement. "See you later!" After closing the door, she looked again at her new room. _I hope this isn't a dream. . .Or if it is, I hope I don't wake up. _Everything felt so surreal.

She walked over to the closet, just to see how much bigger it was than her old one. When she opened it, she almost had a heart attack. All clean and neatly hung up, were beautiful women's clothes, much nicer than anything she'd ever hoped to own. _Are they for me. . .?_ Noticing a small slip of paper taped to one of the shirts, she plucked it off.

_Sapphira,_

_While Matt was showing you around_

_and introducing you to his friends,_

_I decided to stock your closet full_

_of new clothes I thought you'd like._

_If there are any problems with them_

_or if they don't fit, please let me know._

_Roger_

Feeling an undescribable sense of happiness, Aurora flopped down onto her new bed and began drifting off to sleep. Her life was finally turning around. . .

* * *

**The End**

**. . .Just kidding xD Sorry this chapter was kind of boring. . .I promise the action will come back, guys. Please believe me D:**


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hey guys

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry chapters are being posted less frequently now. . . Ah. . . The beauty of high school gag. But here's something you guys might be interested in: I've got some Death Note fan art and a drawing of a scene from this fic posted in my DA gallery. Check my profile for the links!**

**Chapter 10**

When Aurora awoke, she felt light and refreshed. She could tell it was going to be a good day. She took a long, relaxing shower in her small bathroom, wrapped a towel around herself, and began planning out her day. First, she'd eat some breakfast, then she'd find Roger and thank him for the clothes . . . Wait . . . New clothes! Finally, she could go to a job interview without having to worry about her skuzzy, poverty-stricken, tattered apparel.

Adding "getting a newspaper" to her mental schedule, she picked through the contents of her closet and pulled out a nice outfit. (Not that it was hard to find one.) After she quickly got dressed and applied some makeup, she took a look at herself in the mirror. "Wow. . ." The reflection stunned her. She looked great! (The only exception being the stitches in her head, but they weren't really THAT noticeable . . .) Smiling at the duplicate in the mirror, she decided she was ready to face the day. _I can't wait to show Matt!_

As Aurora opened the door, she noticed something on the floor in front of her. Picking it up, she grinned again. Today's newspaper had been delivered right to her room! She began her trek towards the kitchen, flipping through the pages, looking for job openings. Finding one in a matter of minutes, she kept a finger on the ad and focused on remembering the path to the kitchen.

It didn't take too long. She looked at the dining table. "Hi Mello!" Although she was a bit nervous, Aurora smiled encouragingly at the other blonde.

Barely looking up from his bowl of Coco Puffs, he nodded quickly in her direction. His apathy made her feel so awkward. She tried changing the subject.

"Hey, do you know where Matt is?"

Mello dropped his spoon in the now empty bowl. His glare almost made her pee her pants. "He's going to get your brother," he spat. The blonde angrily got up from his chair and stormed out of the room.

A part of her was glad that she was going to get to see her brother again. However, the other part of her felt bad about having Matt get him. _He wouldn't have let you go anyway, _she needed to keep telling herself.

"I apologize for his attitude."

Roger's voice made her jump. "Roger!" She stood up and practically ran to the man. "Thank you so much for the clothes!"

He laughed. "So they fit alright?"

Aurora twirled around, (a totally uncharacteristic gesture for her) letting her skirt (something she hardly ever wore) shift with her movements. "I can finally interview for a job now!" She beamed.

Roger smiled again. "If there's anything else I can do, don't hesitate to ask." Aurora nodded, but she didn't want to ask him for anything more. He'd already done so much.

After he left the kitchen, she was in there alone to focus on the ad she'd seen in the paper. She read it again and walked over to the phone, reciting the number in her head so she wouldn't forget it. The phone rang only a couple times before someone answered. Aurora hung up the phone after scheduling the interview, finished her breakfast, and washed her dishes. Since her appointment was in a couple of hours, she decided she should head out. Once again, walking sucks.

Aurora stood outside of the old-fashioned diner. Even from outside, she could hear the classic 50's and 60's style music that was playing. She smiled to herself. She'd always loved these types of restaurants. The ones where you'd order an awesome cheeseburger and they'd deliver it to you on roller skates. Then, when a song that everybody knew, like "Jailhouse Rock," came on, the employees would all begin dancing. Roller skates and all.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the diner. Instantly, she recognized the Leslie Gore song that had just begun playing. The sixteen year old let herself relax, and walked over to the front desk.

"Hi there," Aurora began, "I'm here for a job interview."

The twenty-or-so year old woman (Maria, judging by her name tag) behind the counter smiled. "Sapphira, right?"

Aurora nodded.

"Right this way!" Maria led Aurora to the manager's office, sending a silent prayer to whichever god happened to be listening. Sure, they'd had many interviews. However, everyone who'd come in had either been totally weird, or didn't know how to skate. _Hopefully she'll be different._

Aurora waited anxiously for someone to answer the door Maria had knocked on. When the answer finally did come, she sighed a bit in relief. It wasn't some creepy, acne-covered, obese, pedophile-looking guy. No, the woman who opened the door was somewhere in her late fifties with a kind face, round glasses. . .

"'Ello, love."

And apparently a lovely British accent. Of course, Aurora had an accent too. . .It just wasn't as noticeable. She smiled at the woman and stepped into her office, noticing that the lady hadn't once looked at the unsightly stitches the adorned her head.

Matt approached the small, beat-up house, not sure what to expect. How could he? If those people had been able to do something so horrible to their own daughter, what would they be able to do to him? He worried about Sapphira's brother, too, quietly praying that he was okay.

When no answer came after several minutes, (and several sets of knocks) he turned the doorknob and let himself in. _Ugh. . .What's that smell?_ Once he saw the two adults passed out on the couch, he recognized the stench as vomit. His heart instantly filled with pity for the Eshethea siblings. _No one should have to live like this. . . _He couldn't stand the thought of his Sapphira living in this trash hole, even thoug – Wait. . .his Sapphira? _Oh, man. . ._ What was he getting himself into? They'd just met! Besides, she didn't even know his real name. . .He shook these thoughts from his mind, proceeding through the house.

The redhead walked down the hallway and opened the first door he came to. It looked like a teenager's bedroom, but no one was there. He tried the room across the hall. The bathroom. Once again, it was unoccupied. The room at the end of the hallway was his last hope. After opening the door, he concluded that it was definitely an adult's room. Yet again, not a person was in sight.

"Evan?" Matt quietly called the name his friend had given him, making his way back to the first room. There was no reply, and the orphan began to fear the worst. _Where is he. . ._ His eyes were drawn to the folded sheet of paper sitting on the dresser. He picked it up and read the name "Rora" printed across it. Recalling the name "Sapphira" had entered on the Soul Blade high score screen, Matt shoved the paper into his jeans pocket. Not wanting curiousity to get the best of him, he thought about what to do next.

After thoroughly searching the house one more time, he decided to grab Aurora's clothes. He knew she'd been given all new clothes, but he figured she'd probably want some of her old ones too. The next thing he knew, he had piled up her clothes into the passenger's side of his car, lit up a cigarette, and was driving back to Wammy's House. _How am I going to explain this to her. . . _

Aurora walked out of the restaurant, practically skipping. (Something she'd never even considered doing before.) The interview couldn't have gone better. Esther, formerly known as "the manager," had told Aurora that she was pretty much a shoe-in. After all, she was very well qualified. Never before had the girl imagined that roller skating with the kids back at her old school would land her a job.

Aside from all that, she would be able to show Matt how great she looked in these new clothes. (She was still wondering about why that mattered so much to her anyway.) And she'd be able to see her little brother within the next hour. _Could this day get any better?_

The walk back to Wammy's seemed extremely short, for which Aurora was glad. She must have been too distracted by her thoughts to notice the time pass. Eagerly, she opened the main doors, and headed straight for Matt's room. (She figured Matt wouldn't let Evan be alone while he waited for her, so Matt would probably take her brother to his room.) Not wasting any time, she tapped a tune onto his door. When he opened the door, she smiled brightly.

"How do I look?"

Seeing how happy she was, Matt felt a pang of guilt. And, to Aurora's surprise, he pulled her into a strong embrace. "Beautiful," he whispered into her ear.

Trying (and failing miserably) not to blush, she looked up into his eyes. Not being able to think of anything else to say, she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

"Where's my brother?" Did Matt just. . .Flinch?

Not letting Aurora out of his arms, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the paper he'd found. His hand found hers, and he laced his fingers with hers, handing her the note. She didn't need to ask. His eyes said it all, even if they were partially concealed by her goggles. And, just like that, her day went straight to hell.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey guys! Listen, I hope this isn't too much to ask but, if you've faved this story, could you please review? I mean. . .It's really encouraging, and I'd like to give a big thanks to Penguini, she reviews every chapter I post. So, if you're not too busy, it would be greatly appreciated. And don't forget to check the links in my pro!**

**Chapter 11**

Seven days. An entire week had passed since Aurora had received that God-awful note.

_Dear Aurora__,_

_Please don't look for me._

_I've thought really hard_

_about this. It seems like_

_everything that happens to_

_you is because of me. And_

_if you're home reading this_

_PLEASE__ don't stay there._

_Get out. Don't ever go back_

_there. Make something out _

_of yourself. I know you can._

_Don't worry about me, either._

_I'll be fine. I'll say this again,_

_and as my sister, I expect you to _

_trust me on this one: __DON'T_

_come looking for me._

_You're loving brother,_

Evangelos

She remembered reading it and nearly collapsing in Matt's arms._ If he wasn't there, I don't know what I would've done. . ._

He had walked her to her room and stayed with her until she calmed down. Usually, it was a big deal for a guy and a girl to stay in the same room for a long period of time, with the door shut. However, Roger saw it fit to make an exception. In his attempts to console the girl, Matt had never let go of her. He did things like stroking her hair and telling funny stories about when he was a child at the Wammy House.

Aurora was grateful that he was able to calm her. She'd never had anyone care about her this much before. . . Well, except her brother. . . _No. . . _She loved her brother, but she didn't care about him the way she did Ma-- _Oh God. I love him._ Flopping down on one of the booths, she put her head in her hands.

". . . Break not going so well?" Maria's concerned voice shook Aurora from her thoughts. (Yes, despite the issues going on, she still went to work.) The twenty-three year old didn't need to ask. Her and Aurora had become fast friends within the past week. "Well, hey. . ." She started, smiling at the blonde, "You've still got Matt's daily visit to look forward to!"

Nodding, Aurora smiled back at her. Since she began her job, the redhead had come to visit everyday for her lunch break. (Although she wouldn't admit it, these visits were the highlights of each day for her.) _Speaking of. . . _She looked at the clock on the wall. _He should be here pretty soon. . . _

"Hey guys!" As if on cue, Matt burst into the restaurant, chipper as ever. His happy-go-lucky attitude made her smile brighten. He strutted over to the blonde, wrapping his arm around her, and kissing her forehead playfully. "Hey there! How's today goin', my little flapper?"

Aurora put on an exasperated, work-face and grinned. "Slowly." She glanced at Maria, who waggled her eyebrows at the two. (Despite Aurora's best efforts, Maria considered the two a couple.) Not taking any notice, the boy took his seat across from "Sapphira."

After almost half an hour of chewing the fat, Matt got up to leave. He finished up the burger he had ordered (He ordered one everyday, and tipped Aurora each time.) and smiled at the girl, helping her out of her seat. "Alright, Saph," he pulled out a cigarette and stuck it in his mouth. "I'll see ya when ya get back!" After he lit his smoke, he pulled his Gameboy Advanced SP out of his pocket and walked to his car.

"Look, girlie," Maria had her hands placed firmly on her hips, trying to look annoyed. "It's so incredibly obvious that he likes you!" Trying to talk some sense into the teen, she added, "Ya know. . .I've got a younger sister who would just love to get her hands on--"

"Okay, okay!" Aurora laughed.

She got back to work, and the next five hours passed. After taking off her skates and cleaning up a bit, she was ready to leave. She'd just gotten one foot out the door when Esther's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"'Old on, dearie!" God, she loved that accent. "You forgotch your paycheck, love." She smiled, handing the small slip of paper to the girl. "Now," she winked, "don't go spending it all in one place." Aurora chuckled and nodded, thanking the woman. She looked at the amount on the check and decided where she was going next.

* * *

Thank God she'd found a nearby bus stop. Walking would've been murder with that heavy box. . . _I know he's gonna love this. _Excitedly, she made her way to Matt's room.

She knocked on the door and awaited the answer. It came very quickly, and Matt stood there grinning at her. His gaze shifted from her eyes to the box in her arms. "What's with the box?"

"Oh yeah, the rest of my day went great! Thanks for asking" Aurora walked into the room, sticking her tongue out at the boy. His only response was a chuckle, and he followed her towards the TV. The blonde grinned mischievously at Matt's confusion. She made sure to unwrap the box slowly, watching with amusement as his facial expressions changed. Wide-eyed, Matt went up to the box and pulled out the sleek, white. . .

"HOLY SHIT!" Matt thought he would die. "You got me a Wii?!" She loved the look on his face. Relishing in her success, Aurora was taken even more by surprise when Matt's lips landed excitedly on hers. Before she could kiss him back however, he was rushing over to the TV, hooking up the necessary cables. When he was finished, he turned everything on, then turned to Aurora with lost-puppy-dog eyes. She laughed and pulled Super Smash Brothers Brawl out from behind her back. Kissing her again, he hurried to put the disk in the console.

"Glad you like it so much!" She smiled, "You're like a little kid at Christmas, you dork!" She picked up the two controllers and tossed him one. He caught it with ease, still entranced by the opening sequence of the game.

The two played for hours; brawling, unlocking characters and arenas. Occasionally, they got into an argument over who was fighting cheaply or which characters had cool moves and which didn't. Most of which consisted of a couple of playful pushes, Matt falling off the bed, Aurora picking on him and sticking her tongue out, Matt grabbing it and shoving it back into her mouth. . . Obviously, there was never really a winner.

Finally, (unfortunately) it was time for Aurora to head to her room. Hesitantly, she put down the Wii remote and got up from where she was sitting. After giving Matt a hug good night, she started towards her room. Everything that happened after she left his room ws sort of like a blur. She felt numb. Next thing she knew, she was lying awake in bed, waiting to go to sleep. She tried counting sheep, but her thoughts subconsciously drifted to Matt, who had probably long been asleep by now. _Matt. . .Sweet dreams. . . _

Matt layed in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Since Sapphira had gone to bed, he hadn't been able to think of anything else. He couldn't believe how great she was. . .Hell, she'd even gotten him a Wii! _Damnit. . . _Mello was right. . . He did love her.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Holy hell xx; LONG chapter. Okay, I know this chapter isn't exactly accurate, but come on. . . I needed to change a few things around. They are in Winchester, after all. . .**

Chapter 12

Their lives went on like this for a couple months. Each day Aurora could feel herself growing closer to Matt. And finally, she accepted the fact that she was in love with him. She just. . . Didn't know how to tell him. Much to her dismay, he hadn't made any moves to try and seduce her. Or, hell, even ask her out! She figured he was either extremely shy or trying his hardest to be a gentleman. (Which he was definitely good at.)

It was around 11am, and Maria and Aurora were serving the few people in the diner. (It was a slow day.) The 11 o' clock news was playing dully in the background on the TV by the bar. Then something caught everyone's attention.

_"I am Kira. This tape is being aired on April 18__th__ at exactly 11:08am as I requested." _The disguised voice had startled everyone. They were instructed by said voice to change the channel to watch a news anchor be killed. _What? This isn't like Kira. . .He only kills criminals. . ._Maria changed the channel just in time to see the anchor's eyes roll back in his head. Everyone was speechless, and the channel was switched back to the original news. Again, they were instructed to change the channel to watch him murder another victim. _No. . .This isn't like him at all. . .Could it be. . .?_ This man was dead, too, and they switched channels again. _"People of the world, listen to me. I do not want to kill the innocent. I hate evil and love justice." Ugh. This guy's pissing me off, whoever he is. "I've always thought of the police as allies, not enemies." _He went on to explain how he wanted to create a perfect world, free of evil. Aurora didn't think she'd ever heard a public place remain so quiet. _He's threatening the innocent?! This must be a joke. . . _

Suddenly, the screen went black. Everyone looked at the cause. "Come on, now. Is 'is really whot you want to be watching whilst you eat?" The tension lifted slightly as Esther's voice floated through the air. Well, for everyone else, anyway. Aurora was still incredibly upset. Didn't anyone see this? The REAL Kira would never threaten the innocent. . . At least not so openly.

The next hour crept by, painstakingly slowly. Esther hadn't allowed anyone to turn the TV back on, and Aurora was still unsettled. _When can I get out of here. . ._She looked at the clock. _12:30?! _She nearly blurted it out loud. _Where's Matt?_ Now she was sure. Something was definitely wrong. "Esther, can I use the phone?" Aurora suddenly found herself saying.

Noticing the girl's frantic expression, her manager quickly nodded. Aurora walked numbly over to the phone and dialed Matt's cell number. It rang. And rang. And rang some more. _Voicemail. _Now she was freaking out. _He always answers his phone._

The girl jumped when a hand was place firmly on her shoulder. She whirled around and looked directly into Esther's eyes.

"Sapphira," the woman started, "take the rest 'o the day off, love. You look a bit shaken up." Aurora nodded and quickly got herself ready to leave. After saying her quick goodbyes to her coworkers, she was on her way home.

She felt like she was moving incredibly fast. Like something had taken over her body and was propelling her forward. The blonde almost stopped in her tracks when she realized what was happening. _This must be Amaterasu. _An image of the goddess flashed in her mind. However, a strong sensation in her stomach told her that she still was not yet fully awakened. When she'd finished all of her thoughts, she found herself at the entrance to Wammy's House.

Without a moment of hesitation, the girl was inside, searching frantically for anyone. (Preferably Matt.) In her rush, she nearly ran over Roger.

"Sapphira. . ." The man sounded confused. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

She needed to calm herself down so she could speak clearly. Taking a breath, she began, "I saw the Kira newscast." Instantly, she saw Roger tense. "Well, that left a bad aftertaste . . . Then Matt didn't show up and I got worried. . ." The elderly man nodded as he continued listening. "And when I called, he didn't answer, so. . . My manager saw how upset I was and gave me the rest of the day off."

Roger smiled warmly at her. "Don't worry about him. Everyone's just writing down their deductions on that broadcast." The look on Aurora's face told him he needed to elaborate. He sighed. Roger knew he would eventually need to explain this to her. "This orphanage is more like a training place for L's replacements."

Aurora's eyes widened. "THE L?!" Oh wow. . .He's so incredible! It always amazes me to hear about his brilliant deductions!" She was talking a mile a minute. "It's been my dream to work alongside him! Especially during this case."

The man smiled again. "You may write down your thoughts too, if you wish." Aurora eagerly agreed and sat down at the table, beginning to write down all the thoughts she'd had back at the diner. She finished rather quickly, feeling a bit embarrassed that it didn't take her long. After she handed Roger her paper, she headed towards Matt's room.

She played his Wii and waited for his return. It didn't take too long for him to strut into the room, game in hand. He didn't even notice the girl sitting on his bed. Until she jumped up and hugged him, that is. He turned off his game and picked her up, hugging her back. "What's the occasion?" He laughed.

Aurora explained all that had happened, and he hugged her tighter. "Sorry, Saph. . . I should've called you and told you, but it was kind of sudden . . ." She told him not to worry about it, and the two began their daily Wii tourny.

* * *

The next day passed as most of her days in the last two months. Up, shower, dress, leave, work, break (with Matt), more work, bus ride, home. She'd gotten quite used to the normalcy in her life. Though it wouldn't be the perfect life without her brother.

_Evan . . . _How long ago had he left? _Wow. . . Two months . . ._She knew it was useless to look for him, even when she'd first received his note that day. Her brother was smart. Really smart. If he didn't want her to find him, he would make damn sure she didn't. Aurora didn't underestimate her brother, either. Even if he was only fourteen, he could figure out where to go to be safe . . .

"This game's winner is. . . Roy!" Matt's television blurted. Aurora snapped back into reality and looked warily at the screen, then at Matt, who was doing a ridiculous victory dance. She rolled her eyes and laughed, giving him a soft shove. He was about to start another playful argument, but they were interrupted.

"Sapphira," Roger's voice hit her like a splash of cold water. "Could I see you in my office?" It was getting late anyway, so Aurora agreed. Looking at Matt, she grinned sweetly and said "Don't worry, I'll be back tomorrow to kick your ass."

He smiled and stood up. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever you say." Laughing, he pulled her into a hug and kissed her on the cheek. Was he lingering a bit longer than usual. . .?

"Matt, I. . ." He pulled back to look at her questioningly. _I love you. . . C'mon! Just say it, Aurora! _"I'll see you tomorrow!" _Ugh! Damn nerves!_ She turned and hurriedly followed Roger to his office.

Matt sighed and got ready for bed. _Why can't I just tell her?!_

* * *

Aurora sat down in the comfy chair across from where Roger sat at his desk. "So, what's going on?" She smiled.

The elderly man's face wrinkled up into a smile as well. "Sapphira, your deductions were spot on! And the other inferences you made were brilliant! They exactly matched L's! The only other person who managed that was Near . . ." He trailed off, trying to find the right words. "Near's still too young, but I think you're capable of helping the investigators." He smiled brightly. "I've gotten you a ticket to Japan to work alongside L! I know this has been your dream. . . Your plane leaves first thing in the morning. And don't worry about packing, I'll have some one take care of that for you."

Aurora smiled the biggest smile ever. Her dream was finally coming true! She thanked Roger too many times to count before he sent her to bed.

On the walk to her room she had so many thoughts swirling through her head. About how she would finally be able to see L in person, and how she would be able to make history, helping solve the biggest case of the century.

Then, a thought hit her so hard she thought she would puke. _Matt. . . _


	13. Chapter 13

**WARNING: Lemon/sex scene. Don't read this chapter if it's going to offend you. **

**AN: Uh yeah. . .Be nice ; This is going to be kind of embarrassing for me to post publicly, so take it easy, okay?**

**Chapter 13**

Aurora sat in her room. She hadn't even been able to think. What was happening to her? This was her dream, wasn't it?! It figured. Now that her life was finally settling into a state of normalcy, something happened that sent it out of control. Again. Roger's words echoed through her mind. Over and over again. What could she do? She looked at the clock and widened her eyes. It was already quarter after midnight. She'd just been sitting there for almost two hours!

Next thing she knew, she was numbly weaving through different hallways. She didn't know where exactly she was headed, her legs were the only things motivating her at this point. Subconsciously she did know where she was going; knew where she'd end up. Although if she was caught outside of her room, wandering the halls, she would no doubt be in a lot of trouble. . . Hell, maybe that's what she wanted. Maybe they'd cancel her flight to Japan.

Finally, she stopped, regaining her senses fully. Standing up straight and suddenly feeling a burst of confidence, she didn't hesitate at all to knock on Matt's door. In the few seconds of waiting, she heard some shuffling and figured she'd woken him up. _Oh great. . .I woke him up._ She kicked herself, and began to panic, wondering what she was doing. Until he opened the door and she saw his face again.

She would've been distracted by the fact that he was only wearing his boxers (Which were, like the shirts he always wore, striped.), if something else hadn't been distracting her more. His goggles were off, revealing beautiful, deep blue eyes. He, on the other hand, was much more concerned about being pants-less.

"Oh. . God! I'm sorry! I thought it was probably Mello or Roger, but I had no idea-- I mean, I never thought you'd come back here tonight. . ." He went on and on, struggling to quickly put on a pair of jeans. Aurora was disappointed he turned his gaze away from her. . .She didn't want to look away from his eyes. Disregarding the clothes (or lack there of) Matt was wearing, Aurora closed the door behind her and took a seat on his bed.

After he'd gotten his pants on (though still shirtless), he sat next to Aurora. "so what's going on?" He was excited by the fact that she was there with him, but worried about why she needed to see him so late. _Ya know, now would probably be as perfect a time as any. _He tried to convince himself to confess his feelings to her, but she didn't give him enough time .

"Matt, I. . ." Aurora started to speak and he looked at her expectantly. Gingerly, she placed her hands on his face and watched him blush. Before he could ask what she was doing, she pulled his lips to hers in a soft kiss. After only a moment's hesitation, he relaxed into her lips and wrapped his arms around her waist.

She pulled away and lowered her eyes. "Matt. . ." She raised her eyes to look into his. "I love you." _There. That wasn't so hard. _Finally, she'd been able to get it off her chest. It was something she should've said awhile ago, but at least she'd gotten it out. Deciding not to think about the whole "leaving-for-Japan" thing, she searched his expression for any signs of him returning the feelings.

Instead of making any noticeable changes in his demeanor, Matt leaned in close to her, his lips brushing against her ear. He grabbed hold of both her hands and spoke softly into her ear. "I've loved you since we met. . .I'm sorry I haven't told you until now. . ." He trailed off, letting on of his hands brush across the soft skin on her face. She shivered beneath his touch, pulling back to look at him again.

Smiling, she brushed a lock of hair out of his eyes. "You know. . .I was beginning to think you even kept those goggles on when you slept." He laughed and pulled her into another kiss. However, this time around, neither had any desire to interrupt it. Aurora wrapped one arm around Matt's neck and kept her other hand rested on his strong chest muscles. He had both of his hands around her waist, but one was trailing lightly up and down her spine, underneath her shirt.

His hands were warm, and all of her concerns had melted away. The only thing she wanted to focus on was his touch. . .His closeness. They were soon lying on the bed, engaged in a hot make out session, Matt hovering over top of her. When he pulled away, she felt cold, but she instantly felt better when he began kissing her neck. Playfully at first, then more intense, licking and nipping at it. She closed her eyes and let out a soft gasp of pleasure.

While one of her hands toyed with and tousled his hair, the other was brushing against the waistline of his jeans. Matt freed one of his hands from under her and used it trail up underneath her shirt to explore her chest, his lips returning to hers. She brought her hands back up to cupping his face and propelled herself forward, forcing both her and Matt to sit up. Breaking their kiss only for a moment, Aurora lifted off her shirt and threw it on the floor next to his bed, allowing him better access.

Resuming the kiss, Aurora pushed herself on top of him, trapping him (not that he minded) underneath her body. His arms reached around to her back and his hands fumbled with the clasp of her bra. When he succeeded in removing that, he tossed it on the floor along with her shirt.

Realizing she was now halfway exposed, Aurora shied back a bit, her face a bright shade of pink. Matt smiled and looked her in the eyes. "Don't worry. You're beautiful." Upon closer inspection, she could see that he was blushing as well, which made her feel a bit better. They both knew where this was going. They were going to end up having sex. Although she couldn't tell from his words and actions, Matt was a virgin. . . He'd never really liked to go out of the orphanage. Aurora, however, wasn't. It wasn't like she went around screwing every guy she met though. She'd only done it once. And that was just to get it over with. She didn't want it to hurt when she did it with some one she actually cared about. In this case, some one she actually loved.

She kissed him again, but focused more on trying to undo his pants. With his help, she was able to remove them, and Matt was back to where he'd been when she'd knocked on the door. The only differences were the sweat beginning to form on his body and the hard lump that was now present underneath the fabric of his boxers. Matt trailed his hands from her neck, over her chest, down her torso, and stopped them at the waistline of her pants. He followed her previous example and tossed both of their pants onto the floor, into the growing pile of discarded clothing. Then, gently, he removed the last article from her body, and did the same to himself. Matt leaned in and kissed her neck again, this time trailing his kisses up and down her entire torso. She moaned as she felt his manhood brush against her skin.

His lips landed on hers as he gently eased into her. She was nervous and tight at first, but with each of his slow thrusts, she began to relax and loosen up. Both of their bodies moved in sync with one another. She loved hearing him make little satisfied grunts, and he loved hearing her moans of pleasure. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Aurora began to speed up the thrusts, driving him deeper inside her body. When they both climaxed, they were in a haze of sweat, friction, and white-hot passion.

After several more sessions of intense love-making, they both collapsed in each other's arms. Matt looked at the girl wrapped in his arms. She was sweaty, out of breath, and her hair was a mess. He'd never seen anyone look so beautiful. Aurora cuddled up against his warm body and ran her hand up and down his chest, and at that moment she knew she'd never love anyone as much as she loved him.

". . .Mail," the words slipped breathlessly out of the redhead's mouth.

Aurora could barely form her question. "Huh?"

"My name. . ." He panted. "Mail Jeevas. . ." He held her in his arms and kissed her neck lightly, making her shiver.

She smiled and ran her hand through his disheveled hair. "I love you, Mail Jeevas." He loved hearing her say his name. His real name. And within minutes, the feeling of her stroking his hair had put him to sleep. However, Aurora, still entwined in his arms, lay there crying herself to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

Hey guys

**Hey guys! Check this out: ****shishara./art/Life-s-A-Game-100659598**** Otaku4lyphe (/u/1181555/) wrote a song for the fic! I only have the first stanza written in this chapter, but definitely check out the rest! It matches the story perfectly. Again, thank you, Otaku!**

**AND I have another pic up! I promise it's worth looking at, Matt's shirtless: ****miss-tetra./art/Do-Not-Disturb-101202201**

**Chapter 14**

_Just when life got too crazy, _

_You came along and saved me._

_Through the bad and the good,_

_You stood by me when you could. . ._

_I can't return the favor._

_Mail,_

_I need to leave. . . I'm sorry for not telling_

_you in person. . . I know that if I saw your_

_face . . . Your eyes again, I wouldn't be able_

_to go. I'm being sent to Japan to work on the_

_Kira case. . . It's been my dream to work alongside_

_L ever since I was little. . . I have to go. I love you. . ._

_But I can't be with you. At least not until this case_

_is solved. . . The sooner it is, the sooner I can see you_

_again. So, for now, forget my name, and forget my_

_face. I don't want to put you in any danger. . . And I_

_don't expect you to wait for me. Hell, I don't even expect_

_you to want to see me again . . . But I want you to know_

_that I really do love you. And I'll never love anyone as_

_much as I do you._

_Always,_

_Aurora Eshethea_

She looked at the clock. _I only got two hours sleep . . . Ugh._ Her plane left in an hour. After much hesitation, Aurora wriggled herself out of Matt/Mail's arms. A chill bit her as she left the warmth of his body. Placing her note on the nightstand, next to his goggles, she went to get dressed. After she was fully clothed, she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like shit. There were dark bags underneath her eyes, and her hair was tangled into many unattractive rats' nests.

She looked back at the figure still asleep in the bed. How was it that he was able to look so adorable? Until that moment, she hadn't known it was possible for a person to smile in their sleep. His bed sheets were all rumpled and barely covered his waist, exposing his bare chest. Aurora couldn't help but smile at his serene appearance. Smile fading, she couldn't prevent a nasty thought from sneaking its way into her head; _ignorance is bliss. . . _Gingerly, she stepped back over to the bed, pulling the sheets up so that they came up to his shoulders. Bending over slightly, she planted one last, soft kiss on his still-warm lips. She pulled back and let her eyes linger on the redhead. After much too short of a hesitation, Aurora stepped into the hallway, intending to return to her room and get ready.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" A sharp voice stopped her.

Reluctantly, she turned around. _It's four thirty a.m. . . . Who the hell. . ._ Their eyes met "M-Mello?"

The dark-eyed blonde stared at the girl with harsh eyes. "Don't think I didn't hear you two last night." Mello rolled his eyes as Aurora blushed. "Like I give two shits about the sex," he spat. Stepping closer to her, he added, "What I DO give a shit about is Matt." He narrowed his eyes. "He fuckin' ADORES you, and you're just going to mosey on back to your room, not even bothering to –"

"I'm going to Japan," Aurora spoke so softly, she wasn't sure she'd spoken at all. She cleared her throat, repeating her previous statement, "They're sending me to Japan. . . "

Mello looked more surprised than appalled. However, his jealousy clearly overshadowed the surprise. "What?" His sharpness made her wince, but she suddenly let her emotions get the best of her.

"Listen," she would've been yelling, had she not known Matt was sound asleep behind the closed door. "It's a little late now, anyway. My plane leaves in less than an hour and I need to get ready." Infuriated (mostly with herself,) Aurora turned and started to storm off towards her room.

"Hey. . ." His voice was calm and softer, and, even in her anger, she needed to stop and listen. When he saw that she was glancing over her shoulder at him, he continued, "What do I tell Matt?"

Aurora lowered her gaze, shaking her head slowly. "Just. . . "She began, "Just take care of him for me." Mello barely nodded, and their eyes briefly locked. Even in this short amount of time, Aurora felt that they'd crossed a barrier . . . That they were now friends. They both turned around, and went their separate ways.

* * *

Matt awoke several hours later and grasped the air in front of him. Keeping his eyes closed, the redhead smiled playfully. "Oh okay, so that's how you're gonna being?" When no response came, he opened his eyes and looked around. "Sapphira?" He sat up in his bed and reached for his goggles on the nightstand, finding the folded up petition. Chuckling to himself, he began unfolding it. _She probably snuck out early so she wouldn't . . ._

His thoughts trailed off as he began reading the paper. About half way through, he began to shake. Whether it was out of sadness or anger, he couldn't tell. After rereading it several times, the words finally sunk in. He crumpled the paper in his shaking fist. _How could she just __leave__?!_

Matt sighed, trying to calm himself down. Tears fell down his cheeks, which he didn't bother to wipe. He knew he was being selfish, he just couldn't help it. . . _That must've been why she came to talk to me . . ._ Memories of the previous night flooded into his mind, making him smile bitter-sweetly.

After he'd stopped shaking and the flow of tears had slowed, he uncrumpled the paper in his hand. Again, he reread the note. This time, however, a smile played across his lips, which were, for some reason, tingling. _So, _he thought, _her name's Aurora. . ._


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Oh my god. You guys have no idea. I am SO SORRY I haven't been updating . . . High school is NOT the best years of my life. This chapter has actually been floating around my bedroom for the past few months, but I'm just now typing it. . . Now I know you've all probably moved on to bigger and better fanfics, but here's the next chapter anyway.**

**Chapter 15**

Aurora's flight had been awful. Well . . . Okay, in truth, no. It hadn't. She had a window seat, sat in first class (courtesy of Roger,) sat next to a very nice, rich, elderly lady who would, from time to time, smile warmly at her and attempt a friendly chat about the fancy airline meal they had both enjoyed. At least, Aurora should have enjoyed it. However, the food had tasted like cardboard, and the beautiful landscape below seemed dull. Her mind kept replaying the previous night, (God, had it really been less than twenty four hours ago??) and she would visualize the look Matt must've had on his face after reading her petition. It was true; having too much time to think could be a bad thing.

When the plane landed, she picked up her carry-on bags and proceeded numbly off of the large craft. She went through all of the procedures almost robotically. Shoving through the large crowd of people, sometimes watching a joyous reunion between loved ones, waiting, interminably, for her luggage to appear on the conveyor belt. (Which, she was sure, had already passed by several times, but she just couldn't tell. Anyone who's ever traveled could tell you about that.) After retrieving all of the suitcases, Aurora began searching for someone holding a card with her name on it. _Oh, _she thought as she spotted an old man in a suit sporting a rather large card with "Sapphira" written on it, _forgot that was my name. . . _Boy, she really was out of it.

As she approached, the man smiled warmly and bowed, butler-esque. "Sapphira Eshethea, I presume?" Aurora nodded. _If his name is Jeeves, I think I'll just about die. _Ha-ha. Her humor was still intact. . . "My name is Watari," the man continued, "I'll be taking you to Ryuzaki."

She nodded again. _Ryuzaki. . .Guess that's what I'm supposed to call L. _Alright! Deductive reasoning slowly returning as well.

Watari led her outside to a sleek, black, Mercedes Benz. _. . .Exactly HOW much money do these people have? I know he gets money from commissions, but this is ridiculous. _She decided it would be best to keep such thoughts to herself.

When they were both seated, buckled in, and on their way, Watari spoke up again. "Roger's told me all about you. I'm sure you'll be quite an asset, Miss Eshethea." He smiled, handing her a badge. His demeanor reminded Aurora of a kind, wealthy grandfather, whom you only saw once in awhile, only because you felt obliged to visit.

She shook her head slightly. "Please," she said, "It's just Sapphira." Yes, she knew it was asinine to continue using her alias when she was going to meet L. _Force of habit, _she convinced herself.

The car ride went by relatively quickly, as she wasn't really thinking at all, just taking in the change of scenery. Only when they pulled into the hotel parking lot did she snap back into reality. "I'll send someone for your bags," Watari said.

"No," Aurora protested, "thank you, but I'd like to get them myself, if it's alright with you." Being waited on had gotten really old, really fast. Watari nodded, and, despite her numerous protests, helped her carry a few of her bags.

Once they reached the designated floor, Aurora's heart began to pound. She was about to meet L! Her hands had begun to sweat, and she grew disgusted with herself. She was acting like a stupid schoolgirl. _Great. Yeah, I'm gonna sound real intelligent when I can't even form sentences. _The door opened.

There, standing before her, was L. **THE** L. The world's greatest, most renowned detective. He hadn't needed to introduce himself, she could just tell. He was tall, lanky, skinny . . . Far too skinny. His eyes were dark, like Near's, and made her just as uncomfortable. Like he was trying to delve into her deepest, darkest secrets, simply by looking at her. And, for that moment, there was no doubt in her mind that he could. She squirmed under his gaze and shifted her eyes to the black mop on his head. Honestly, he looked like he'd just rolled out of bed, complete with tousled hair and bags under his eyes. Then again, who was she to judge, running on only two hours sleep herself.

Aurora stepped into the suite and set her luggage down on the plush carpet. Finally, she gathered up the courage to speak. "My name's Sapphira Eshethea." She held out her hand for him to shake. He bit his thumb and stared at her outstretched hand for a moment before grabbing it. His skin was clammy, and his fingers were boney. "I've always admired your work," she said, trying to take her mind off of his limp handshake, "It's such an honor to meet you."

He put his thumb back onto his bottom lip and nodded slightly. "Mmm. . .Thank you," he mumbled as he made his way to the other end of the room, expecting them to follow.

"Please, don't think him rude," Watari whispered to her from behind. "His social skills are somewhat. . . Lacking." Aurora smiled an encouraging smile, hoping it showed that she hadn't found him offensive at all.

They followed the dark-haired detective to a room filled with the other members of the task force and. . . . _Junk food? _Our heroine had to do a double-take to make sure she wasn't just imagining things. Pretty much every food that would clog your arteries within minutes of swallowing it was there. She noticed no one was eating any. _What's it all for? _Aurora could barely finish her thought before L sat down (if it could even be properly classified as "sitting,") and shoved a few morsels into his mouth. _. . .You're joking, right? _She was instantly jealous of how he managed to stuff himself with insane amounts of sugar like this and still maintain his (girlish?) figure, even though she didn't really need to watch hers.

"This is . . . Sapphira Eshethea," L said between bites. "A respected colleague of mine thought she would be a valuable addition to the force." She noticed he hadn't been too specific. . . He licked his fingers, and Aurora reverted back to numbness at the mention of her previous home. Ryuzaki proceeded with introductions, but the girl hardly listened. She'd never been good with names, anyway. That was problem enough, but these names were strange and foreign to her. The only person who made any kind of impression on her was Matsuda. His eyes were warm and friendly. She figured he would probably be the only one to make an effort to make her feel at home. The others seemed like the "strictly-business" types, the ones who were never allowed to have any fun. So . . . Cold. Could she really handle this? _No, _she thought, _I can't let myself think like that. I've come this far, after all. . ._

Matsuda eyed her luggage that sat in the foyer, then looked to her eyes. "Hey . . . You look pretty tired. Want me to show you to your room?" Aurora, along with everyone else in the room, turned to look at the young man. "I-I mean, n-not that you look bad or anything! I just thought you might, well, you know, want to get some sleep. . ." His eyes widened like a deer in headlights and a slight blush crept across his face. "Ahhh . . . I don't mean that in a provocative way, either, but –"  
"Matsuda!" She had to save him from himself. _"_That sounds like a good idea," she couldn't help but grin slightly before turning to L. "Assuming that's alright with you?"

The detective nodded and handed Aurora her room key. "Please," he took a sip of his coffee (more like "a sip of his coffee-flavored sugar cubes,") "can you be back here at seven tomorrow morning?" Since it sounded more like a command rather than a request, she nodded.

Aurora got up from her seat as her eyes met everyone else's. "Well," she attempted to sound as pleasant as she could, "it was nice meeting everyone!" She smiled, "I'm looking forward to working with you all." She regarded the chorus of mutual feelings from the men, and her stomach-butterflies returned. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Matsuda get up as well, obviously intending to help her with her bags. She smiled at him. _Thank God for distractions._

* * *

**A/N: So there you are, my lovelies. I need to rewatch some episodes of Death Note to see what should come next as far as Light and Misa go. Oh, and I hope I didn't make it seem like Matsuda and Aurora are going to get romantically involved. They're not. That would be a real hit below the belt, no?**


End file.
